Rapid and accurate identification of microbes, such as fungi of medical importance, is needed to allow physicians to react and respond appropriately to infections, including those that are potentially life threatening. Systemic fungal infections, for example, have because a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients.
Currently, microbe identification requires culture on solid medium or growth in liquid media under specific conditions of atmosphere, heat and humidity, followed by diagnostic analysis that may require additional rounds of replication in culture or purification of specific microbe products. At best, microbe identification requires many days during which patient health can be difficult to maintain or even rapidly deteriorate while the causative agent of the illness is ascertained. Thus, improved methods for microbe identification are needed.